Die-rolled article and method of making the same



y 1929 w. P. WITHEROW ET AL 1,712,286

DIE RQLLED ARTICLE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed May 11, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l M y 1929- w. P. WITHEROW ET AL 1,712,236

DIE ROLLED ARTICLE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 11, 1926 W? w wpfi R w wm latented May 7, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM 1P.- WITHEROW AND PAUL L. GO'YLE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, AS.- SI-NORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO COLONIAL TRUST COMPANY, TRUSTEE, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 01 PENNSYLVANIA,

DIE-ROLLED ARTICLE AND METHOD, OF MAKING THE SAME.

Application filed May 11, 1926. Serial No. 108,302.

This invention relates to the making of metal articles, particularly by die-r01 ing, and is herein illustrated and described as applied to the manufacture of. automotive front a axles, although it will be understood that the invention has numerous other applicatlons.

It has heretofore been proposed to die-roll a string of connected blanks lying end to end and generally connected by a gating whlch 1s sheared away in the formation of the separated blanks. Usually the end portions of the blanks must be formed with portions only of the blank projecting somewhat so as to provide a suitable disposition of metal for In a subsequent forging operation. The shearing of the end of the blank to this form, to-

gcther with the removal of the gate, necessitates rehandling of the blanks and also results in the production 0 a material amount of scrap. We provide for forming a string of connected blanks whose end portions lie side by side and then for severing these blanks, as for example, by shearing them on a staggered line.

Stated in other words, the projecting fingers on the ends of the blanks are placed in a side by side relation while the blanks are rolled in a connected string. The blanks are severed by making what may be termed a Z to cut and the desired blanks are thus secured with a minimum of operations and without the production of the scrap which was incident to the old method.

For the efilcient practice of our method, it

as is desirable that the blanks shall be symmetrical about a longitudinal axis as will be hereinafter apparent, but it will be understood that the invention may be applied to the production of more than one style of blank in a an single string, in which case the necessity for a symmetricalblank is no longer present.

We further provide an improved method and apparatus for making the staggered cut whereby the expense of this operation is materially reduced and the possibility of spoiling blanks by improper cutting is substantially eliminated. In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a present preferred embodiment of our W invention as applied to the production of blanks for thefront axles of automotive ve' hicles, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a pair of die-rolls for formin a strlng of connected blanks.

1g. 2 1s a top plan view of a portion of the string of blanks as rolled.

Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively side and top plan views, to enlarged scale, of a portion of a blank in the string shown in Fig. 2.

Flgs. 5 to 9 inclusive are sections taken on the lines VV, VI-VI, VII-VII, VIII- VIII and IX-JX of Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 1s a top plan view of a die used for severing blanks from the string, and Flg. 11 is an end elevation of the die shown in Fig. 10. i

In the illustrated embodiment of the inven tion, there is shown a pair of die rolls 2, havmg matrlx portions 3 therein for the production of a string of connected blanks. A leader L is supplied to the rolls and the string of blanks S is thereby produced.

This string of blanks is shown in more detail in Fig. 2. As will be apparent from that view, each of the blanks in the stringconsists of a central or body portion 4 at each end of which are provided spring attaching portions 5. Beyond these spring attaching portions is an extension 6 of generally I-beam section, beyond which lies the portion indicated generally by the reference character 7, from which the wheel spindle attaching portion is to be forged. The portion 7 for each blank consists of a short finger 8 and a long finger 9, which fin ers are adapted to be spread apart and re orged to form a spindle attaching portion of the usual shape. I

Fig. 2 shows one complete axle blank with the-adjacent blanks shown in part. As will be apparent from this view, these adjacent blanks may be said to be upside down with respect to the axle blank 4. It will be undereration, the excess metal is permitted to go into flash as indicated at 10 on the drawings.

The finger portions 8 and 9 are connected by an intermediate web 11 as best shown in cated bysolid lines at the le ft-hand end of Fig. 5. However, it is desirable that there tions as the absenceof flash at this grooves 13 and 13 13 and properly positioned shall be no'flash adjacent these finger' pordecidedly helpful in the subsequent s caring operation.

The blanks are severed from the string by cutting on a staggered line as best shown in Fig. 2. This is preferably accomplished by the use of a die such as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The 'die consists of a block 12 having formed therein to accommodate the'finger portion 7 of the string of blanks. Assume first that weare cutting the arrk shown infFigure 2. In or erto accomplish this, the blank will be placed in the groove so 'as' to get the out at the proper point. I

' A unch 14 is then movedjdownwardly' and tii e string of blanks is severed as indi- '-Figure 2. The string ofblanks is then fed I the reversal of the cut previousl the groove 13' is therefore utilize which su single die has been turned over. We have illustrated a preferred embodi forward to make the cut at the right hand end of the complete blank shown in Figure 2. It will be noted that the cut at this point is made and It is only necessar to shift the blank sidewise slightly so as to Lay the finger portion 7 in the groove 13 and again lower the punch 14 to completely sever the blank shown in Figure 2.

It will be noted from Figures 2 and 4 that the corners on the line of cut between'blanks are filleted or rounded and that such fillet lies substantially entirely within the web portion between the bar-like or finger-like portions plies the metal from which the complete axle end is made. This arrangement is highl desirable in practice as it lengthens the life of the dies.

It is found that this cutting die is of, great value in practice as it entirely eliminates the necessity of turning, the string of blanks over as would otherwise be required. It is also found that the workmen soon get into the habit of shifting the string from the groove 13 to the groove 13 and,- therefore, do not cut the blanks wrongly, as often occurs when a utilized and the string ment of our invention, but it will be understood that it is not limited to such embodiment as it may be otherwise racticed or embodied within the scope o the following claims.

We claim 4 x 1. The method of making metal articles which includes forming a string of connect-- ed'blanks having axially symmetrical body ortions and having end ortions lying side y side,. and severing the lanks.

2. The method ofmaking axles which includes forming a string of connected axle blanks. and severing the blanks on a stagoint is gered line to form a projecting finger on the end of the blank adapted for reworking.

3. The method of forming antero-posteriorly symmetrical articles which includes forming a string-of blanks having smced apart body portions, the body portions being axially symmetrical, and intermediate portions which are axially symmetrical and comprise parts of adjacent blanks lying side by side, and severing said intermediate portions.

4. The method of forming antero-posteriorly symmetrical articles which includes forming a string of blanks having spaced apart body portions and intermediate portions which are axially symmetrical and comprise parts of adjacent blanks lying side by side, and severing said intermediate portions.

5. The method of formingantcro-posteriorly symmetrical articles which includes forming a string of blanks having spaced apart bod portions and intermediate portions whic are axially symmetrical and comprise parts of adjacent blanks lying side by side, and severing said intermediate portions on a staggered line.

6; The method of making axles which includes forming a string of blanks having spaced apart body portions connected by a pair of bar-like portions, and severing the strin in such manner that the end of a blank will e provided with bar-like portions of different length.

7. The method of making axles which includes forming a string of blanks having spaced apart body portions connected by a pair of bar-like portions, severing the string in such manner that the end of a blank will be provided with bar-like portions of different length, and reworking the bar-like portions to form a wheel spindle connecting portion on the axle.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a string of blanks with portions of different thickness and having spaced apart body portions and intermediate connecting portions which are axially symmetrical and com rise parts of adjacent blanks lying side by si e.

9. As a new article of manufacture, a string of connected axle blanks having spaced apart body portions, and intermediate connecting portions comprising a pair of substantiallycontinuous bar-like portions lying side by side.

10. The method of making metal articles, which includes forming a string of connected blanks having end portions lying side b side and having intermediate portions whic i are axially symmetrical and constitute substantially the entire width of the string of articles, and severing the blanks.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

WILLIAM P. WITHEROW. PAUL L. COYLE. 

